The theme for World Pulses Day 2026 is “Pulses of the World: From Modesty to Excellence”.
Beans are nutrient-dense, rich in protein and dietary fibre, which is great for gut health. They have no cholesterol, are low in fat and rich in micronutrients including iron, potassium and B vitamins like folate. They also cost about 5 times less than other plant-based proteins, which along with being packed with protein and fibre keeping you fuller for longer, makes them the eponymous hero taking centre stage in dishes usually focused on meat.
What’s more, pulses are one of the few foods to be classed as both a vegetable and a protein. Three heaped tablespoons count as one of your 5-a-day, and will provide the potassium, zinc, B-vitamins (except B-12) and antioxidants you need to keep healthy. 1 drained tin of beans, about 220g, provides as much protein as a portion of beef mince for a fraction of the fat. They’re good for the environment too, needing much less water and chemical inputs than other forms of protein.
In the spirit of modesty to excellence, I’d like to present my version of an Italian classic – lasagne. A good, rich bolognaise matched with the nutty foil of wholegrain fettucine is up there for one of my all-time comfort foods, it’s one of the first things my mum taught me how to cook. I’ve updated the recipe slightly with seasonal veg but left the mushrooms in, because, well, some things you just can’t mess with.
World Pulses Day lasagne (serves about 6, but make extra – there’s never any leftovers)
- 280g dried lentils, beans wholegrains, or chickpeas. I used brown lentils, spelt and fava beans
- 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 leek, washed thoroughly and chopped
- 1 small carrot, chopped
- 100g squash flesh, skin left on but seeds and pulp removed and saved for planting later
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- 400ml passata or tinned chopped tomatoes
- 900ml fresh veg stock or dashi. If you’re making dashi with sheets of kelp, keep the seaweed and use it to replace the pasta sheets if you want a lighter dish or you’d rather keep it gluten-free. Seaweed is an unbelievable umami bomb and a great source of iodine for maintaining a normal metabolism.
Soak the pulses overnight. If you’re not using beans, you can skip this bit but do wash lentils, if you’re using them. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, then add the onion, leek, carrot, squash and garlic and sweat over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the pulses, mushrooms and bay leaves, turn up the heat and fry for a few minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their water.
Add the passata and stock, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about an hour, until the lentils are soft. You may need more or less stock depending on your chosen mix of pulses, so check on it regularly.
The ragu freezes very successfully by itself. Pull out a couple of portions before work for a speedy weeknight dinner, served with fresh tagliatelle or fettucine.
- 1l oat milk
- 300g cauliflower, chopped and leaves kept
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 80ml extra virgin olive oil
- 150g tapioca or cassava flour
- 1tbsp Dijon or English mustard
- 1tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2tsp cider vinegar
- 1/2tsp curry powder
- 1tbsp white or red miso
Pour the milk into a large, heavy based saucepan and add the cauliflower, onion and garlic and bring to a simmer, then cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool a little, then blend the contents of the pan using a stick blender. Add all the other ingredients and blend again to a smooth sauce. Return the pan to the low heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to stop it going lumpy. As the cassava flour cooks out, it will thicken and stretch like melted cheese – awesome. This sauce is brilliant for mac ‘n’ cheese, quesadillas or hog ‘n’ hominy as well, and a fraction of the price point of traditional cheese sauce.
Next, preheat the oven to 220C. To build the lasagne, place a sheet of wholegrain pasta in the bottom of a baking dish, then top with a layer of the ragu followed by a layer of ‘cheese’ sauce. Repeat until you either outgrow the dish, or run out of sauce. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs or a little more nutritional yeast and bake for 20-35 minutes, or according to the pasta makers instructions.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Wash the cauliflower leaves thoroughly, then chop any thicker leaves finely across the stem and leave the small ones whole. Drop into the water and boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Allow to steam dry for 30 seconds, then dress with salt, pepper, lemon zest and olive oil. Spoon the lasagne onto hot serving plates and serve with the cauliflower leaves alongside.